Last Thursday night, around 9pm, I was helmeted, pedalling my 25 km/h, one-person, no-accelerator, electric-motor-assisted bicycle, with front lights on and a flashing rear light along Sunrise Boulevard, Byron Bay, when an unhelmeted person on a black, unregistered, electric motor bike with a rear passenger overtook me at approximately 35 km/h.
Also overtaking me was a police van which followed the electric motorbike briefly before overtaking it and speeding off.
That Thursday night, I came across a Facebook post from Brisbane police.
The post described how they were targeting ‘non-compliant e-mobility devices.’ The article talked about, ‘… local police engagement with riders and parents, safety education sessions run by police at schools, and enforcement action when devices are not compliant or are being driven dangerously.’
Also, ‘in November, police issued 150 traffic infringement notices. The fines were for failing to stop at red lights, driving an unregistered electric motorcycle.’ An example was ‘fines for use of unregistered motorbike ($267), driving uninsured motor vehicle on a road ($333), and rider holds driver licence but not authorised to learn to ride class of motorbike ($556). The man received a warning for his helmet.’
Brisbane police urged, ‘riders or parents who have already bought their child a device to check whether it is compliant. Don’t just assume. It is the responsibility of riders and parents to know the rules surrounding these devices. Ignorance is not an excuse when public safety is put at risk. Riders and parents are being put on notice that non-compliant use will result in fines, charges, and in some cases the devices being seized.’
Meanwhile, back in Byron, for free entertainment, go to Jonson Street at 8pm on a Saturday night and watch the 14-year-olds riding their motorbikes on rear wheels in the middle of the road.
Byron police have told me they don’t have enough staff to do more than the occasional helmet check. Do we have to wait until a toddler is run over, an elderly person killed, and a mother and her pram destroyed before Byron police have ‘enough staff’ to get these electric motorcycles off footpaths and bike paths?
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
